AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

Here at United Properties, we are committed to supporting the communities where we live and work, as reflected by our tree-like logo and brand statement of “Creating Deep Roots.”

We support organizations and missions that coincide with our company values – which is why we’ve partnered with The Nature Conservancy, an organization dedicated to conserving our nation’s lands and waters to better the health of our communities. Since we began our relationship with The Nature Conservancy in 2017, we have been working with the organization to evaluate and choose locations that need tree-canopy replacements in both Colorado and Minneapolis.

Together, we’re imagining possibilities of what not only trees and nature can provide, but what real estate and we humans can do to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.

Imagining Possibilities in Colorado

The Colorado Nature Conservancy is imagining possibilities with us and creating deep roots – literally!

The organization is committed to a tree planting effort in Globeville, a neighborhood of significant need in North Denver, Colorado. The community faces significant challenges that puts its environment and well-being at risk.

Back in October, The Colorado Nature Conservancy partnered with the Elyria-Swansea Coalition and The Park People for a neighborhood-wide tree planting day. This project began in the spring of 2018 and with intentional and direct community outreach, a block-scale and community-defined planting event blossomed. With more than 300 flowers, 60 trees and 400 shrubs planted, more than 120 community members and volunteers helped transform approximately 30 properties in the area.

Talk about leaving a lasting legacy!

Now, nearly a month later, TNC is following up with the area, ensuring that it is maintained with quality care and respect it deserves. With our donations, TNC has imagined possibilities by completing four tree plantings in the area, leaving 600 new plants in the ground and more than 130 trees.

Possibilities at a Local Level

We are also working with The Nature Conservancy here in Minneapolis to lead urban reforestation efforts in the Camden Neighborhood, located in North Minneapolis. The area was greatly affected by the path of the 2011 tornado, which incurred significant tree loss. TNC is working toward a full community tree-planting effort to increase forest diversity and transform the affected area into a highly usable and tree-filled space.

We have financially supported the The Nature Conservancy’s two chapters in 2017 and 2018 as part of our charitable giving program.

Together, we’re imagining possibilities of cultivating healthier, stronger communities.

 

United Properties and our valued partner Ebenezer were among the sponsors and participants at the 12^th Annual Senior Housing Summit, presented by Minnesota Real Estate Journal on October 25, 2018. The four-hour event gave an excellent overview of local and national trends, as well as insights from leading experts in the industry, including our very own Ray Oborn, President of Cherrywood Pointe Investments.

Let’s look at a few takeaways from the event and how the senior housing industry, as well as United Properties, is strengthening communities for today’s senior citizens.

Today’s seniors are savvy consumers.

Senior housing developers are competing not only with each other but with a boom in construction of general occupancy apartments. (One general occupancy property manager noted over 50% of his tenants are seniors.) To attract consumers to their properties, developers have had to become much more creative in building in next-generation amenities like pet spas and makerspaces.

Create a lifestyle, not just a place to live

That was the advice of Joyce Stupnik of bdh+young. Joyce identified four key components necessary to creating a lifestyle: engagement, enrichment, experience and enjoyment. She emphasized that design is not just a visual exercise, but one that should involve all five senses. And forget about bingo! Today’s program directors should think of a variety of enriching and engaging activities like wine tastings or bringing in speakers from the local university.

Details matter

Architect Chris Pakowitsch of BKV Group suggested site-specific differentiators. One California complex is planning an on-site vineyard, for instance. He also encouraged developers to think how branding can come into play in their projects. As an example, he showed a communal table with raw wood accents, which was created specifically for an outdoors-themed community.

The importance of community

Mari Strong, Chaplain at The Fountains of Hosannah!, shared moving stories of how communities can bring purpose and joy to seniors’ lives. One resident, whose handmade quilts were no longer needed at a local hospital, was able to redirect her donations to a global children’s charity, thanks to the resources and guidance of The Fountains of Hosannah!

Put seniors at the center of development

It seems obvious that the consumers come first, but several presenters acknowledged the difficulty of doing so while trying to “value engineer” projects. A few shared eye-opening experiences of helping their own parents choose senior housing and how it has changed their approach to their work. Ray Oborn challenged the group to invite actual residents to future Seminars, so attendees could hear first-hand from the people the industry serves.

These are just a few of the highlights from the Summit, which underscored the enormous opportunities – and real challenges – facing developers because of the “silver tsunami” that’s just beginning to hit the marketplace. Increased competition demands that developers continue to innovate, differentiate and stay up-to-date in the industry.

United Properties strives to be the best in-class real estate provider for seniors choosing to move into a community-based solution. By providing quality living spaces and keeping up with the senior housing trends, we aspire to bring joy to the lives of the seniors we serve.

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. On this final day in October, we’re looking at some of the cool features implemented in buildings, including some of our own developments, to honor hard-working employees with disabilities nationwide.

First, every public accommodation needs to be up-to-code based on mandates from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Common accessibility features include wheelchair ramps, elevators, retrofitted restroom stalls, automatic doors and braille communications.

However, there are some features that go above and beyond what’s mandated by law to accommodate employees with disabilities. Consider the following innovative features from The Guardian, a British daily newspaper:

• Quiet HVAC systems to cater to the needs of people with autism, who can be hypersensitive to sound, light and movement and help them feel at ease while in a public building.
• Simple, neutral and clean interior design to help employees feel a sense of calm.
• Adjustable height sinks and accessible toilets to accommodate those who are disabled so they can easily wash their hands and use the bathroom comfortably and efficiently.
• Drive-through lifts so that employees who use wheelchairs don’t have to turn around and position themselves in an elevator to get from one floor to the next.
• Ceiling hoists to lift and/or move employees who are disabled for increased efficiency and comfort.
• Beacon navigation systems that provide directions to people who are visually impaired while in a building. These systems usually provide audio cues via Bluetooth like “approaching escalator on right” or “automated doors on left.”

For more information, you can view the full article titled What would a truly disabled-accessible city look like? on The Guardian’s website.

Creating Deep Roots in Our Properties

At United Properties, we’re working to create deep roots with employees and tenants who are disabled so they can do what they do best in our properties.

Take the Kickernick building, for example. With its recent renovations, we gutted the lobby and re-routed the new entrance to accommodate disabled tenants and building visitors. We’ve also installed new push buttons and wheelchair ramps to make the new entrance more accessible. Additionally, there are heart defibrillators available in the building that can be tracked by an app on your phone in case anyone needs medical assistance.

As another example, at Prime Therapeutics, we included mental health notices on electronic message screens to encourage Prime employees to prioritize their mental health. This implementation encourages a healthy mental state in the workplace to accommodate those who may be dealing with stress on the job.

The Importance of Accessibility

Accessibility matters. It’s crucial that public space can be accessed, used and enjoyed by everyone using spaces, regardless of their physical abilities.

At United Properties, we’re striving to ensure our properties are inclusive and available for employees who are disabled so that we can fulfill our mission of creating deep roots within our communities. That said, happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month!

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

Earlier this year, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal featured our office on its MSP Cool Offices website page. After 35 years in Bloomington, our office moved to the heart of downtown Minneapolis, right in the middle of the skyway system. We were ecstatic to join the hustle and bustle of the innovative and modern downtown Minneapolis – with an office to match, too!

With a renovated office complete with branded interior, open concepts, collaboration and communal spaces, artwork and unbeatable views, we’re stoked that our office is considered “cool.”

But wait. What is a “cool” office anyway?

Let’s look at some of the most popular office trends of 2018 that make an office “cool.”

The Emerging Trends

Some of the main emerging office trends include increased collaboration and communal spaces, improvised working stations and brand visibility. Let’s break these down.

• Increased collaboration: Many offices now designate spaces that are meant for collaboration between co-workers. This includes pop up seating areas, technology-infused conference spaces and even bean bag chairs and ping pop tables to foster comfortable working environments. Take a look at one of our communal spaces – called the UP Park – for example.

• Hoteling: This trend reflects the fast-paced and flexible environment that working professionals oh so crave today. As more professionals have the option to work remotely, our clients channel efficiency and fiscal responsibility with a concept known as “hoteling.” This practice employs unofficial seating arrangements where employees don’t have an assigned cubicle, but rather come into the office and work anywhere for the day. This trend eliminates unnecessary office space and thus, reduces costs and allows room for efficiency and flexibility for busy employees. Huh, what a concept.
• Brand visibility: Ah, what a trend branding has become in the last decade. It’s now common – and almost expected – that a company’s office integrates brand elements throughout its space. Take a look at our brand wall below that features our signature work and key messages:

But wait, there’re more. Consider the following:

• Biophilic design elements: Oooh, fancy word. Biophilic basically means any natural elements incorporated into a design space whether that’s greenery, water features or rooftop gardens.
• Accessibility improvements to better suit employees with physical disabilities. This includes translation devices for employees who are hearing impaired, adaptive desks and wellness/meditation rooms.

Keeping Up with the Office Trends

As these office space trends normalize, we continue to imagine possibilities of providing comfortable and high-quality working environments for our clients, helping foster collaboration and teamwork.

We’re proud that we have imagined these possibilities and cultivated an inclusive, collaborative – and “cool” – office that matches our drive for innovation and desire to not only strengthen our own community, but the communities we serve, as well.

 

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

This week, technology in real estate is the focus. Ah, technology. What a concept.

It certainly goes without saying that technology has become a major influence in the real estate industry in the past couple of decades. The industry has seen an evolution from the fax machine and stationary phones to cell phones, robotics, and virtual reality. Technological advancements have transformed the real estate landscape, allowing companies to efficiently manage their operations, teams, and assets.

Now, because technology is continuously evolving, it’s virtually impossible to examine all technological advancements. That said, let’s examine some of the most unique technological contributions to real estate.

Communication Advancements

Tele-advancements in the industry have certainly been instrumental in improving the means of communication between companies. Take an early advancement like the fax machine, for example.

VP of Construction Management Bill Jundt remembers the benefits – as well as the unexpected struggles – of the device. In the 1980s, he remembers, “The construction industry started to move more swiftly, being able to exchange information faster, a huge plus.” However, the ink on the heat pressure paper that the fax printed on would evaporate into thin air, leaving him with a blank piece of paper. After the fax machine printed, one had to hand cut with scissors to make 8.5-by-11-inch sheets and then hang them on a piece of string with a clothes pin for the paper and ink to dry.

What a process.

Speaking of process, other communication advancements included word processors, desktop computers (and eventually laptop computers), along with mobile devices and the accompanied fingertip access for faster decision-making information.

The World Wide Web certainly changed the game in several ways, too. In its early years, having access to marketing information about clients, colleagues, and partners, changed the way we all marketed our organizations. Today, we are seeing how the internet has also contributed to the development of more industrial assets. The impact of ecommerce and the new emphasis of online shopping has “caused a major boom in industrial real estate,” according to Real Estate Associate Connor McCarthy.

Construction & Imagery

Visualization is a critical component of real estate and another area where so much change has taken place.

Google Earth is just one of the many advancements that has allowed visualization to flourish within the industry. The 3D service can allow a real estate professional to calculate property square footage and acreage, analyze the terrain of a potential site, view a property’s surroundings on a screen (replacing the outdated method of driving to a site), and give tours of a building (also replacing the outdated method of driving to a site).

Groundbreaking!

Drones have also proved successful in propelling real estate forward. The aerial vehicle can capture beautiful aerial shots of properties and track information about large portions of land. They can capture footage in hard-to-reach locations, like in between downtown high-rise buildings and/or around natural barriers. These handy dandy inventions can also inspect skyscrapers and power lines to save businesses money to avoid harming its employees.

Additionally, many of our construction plans have transferred to the digital world, calling for tablets in the field instead of paper plans. Other tools like Procore, for example, a program that supplies design and construction teams with the ability to share and update plans live, cultivate collaboration and give rise to virtual reality. Bluebeam is another helpful software that’s used for marking up and revising construction drawings, which encourages innovation and possibilities in construction and design planning.

Technology is great, right?

Sustainability & Automation Systems

Another fascinating advancement in real estate is the rise of automation systems, or the use of various control systems for managing facility-related matters on a property.

According to Development Project Manager Carrie Eggleston, there have been strides in CFFM systems – services that employ cost management techniques down to the penny, deploy, track, and close out work orders, and implement preventative maintenance programs to effectively manage assets and lower costs.

Building automation systems also contribute to efficiency and sustainability. From an international location, buildings (referred to as “smart buildings”) can be controlled whether that’s turning the lights off or locking the door. Additionally, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are constantly improving to maintain sustainable, lasting properties.

Smart buildings also enhance the human experience. For example, if an employee likes to work in a 72-degree office, the building’s automation system can automatically adjust to the desired temperature when that employee swipes their badge walking into work. This smart feature decreases automation and electricity costs, acting as a sustainable and environmentally-friendly building, too!

High tech stuff!

Rise of Social Media Marketing

The rise of social media has beefed up the real estate arena, too. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow developers to capture aesthetically pleasing photos of projects, share construction updates, and recruit tenants to lease up buildings .

Additionally, the media has been crucial in recruitment efforts to attract the new generation of professionals. Maintaining a brand identity, aesthetic, and social media presence, curating content for thousands of people to see, and tailoring content for niche audiences are all methods companies can use to attract the best real estate go-getters.

Financial Reporting & Investment Analyses

We have made strides in financial reporting to improve the efficiencies of our monetary record-keeping. A few years ago, we migrated our accounting records from our servers to the “Cloud.”

Ooh, the “Cloud.”

Anyway, because of this switch, we’re no longer having to spend so much time maintaining our databases, and we can focus on improving our properties more quickly.

A tool used by our finance and accounting teams – called Spreadsheet Server – can pull data out of MRI, our accounting system where all our financial data lives, ensure more accurate data, and anticipate tedious transactions so that they can eventually be automated. This tool eliminates hundreds of manual data entry hours, allowing us to make better and more timely decisions, expedite negotiations, and maintain our status as a leading developer in the Twin Cities.

We are always imagining possibilities of technology in real estate. With superior leadership and IT direction, our technological advancements have positively impacted our development and asset management tactics, while incorporating a forward-thinking dynamic to our work.

Technology’s Lasting Legacy

Clearly, technology has already left its mark in the real estate world. In a fast-paced, always changing industry, there’s no doubt that technology will keep up to better help developers and asset managers do what they do best.

Technology’s lasting legacy? Creating more efficient, human-friendly, and sustainable properties to ensure that value is created, communities are strengthened, possibilities are imagined, and of course, legacies are left.

 

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

Inclusion and diversity efforts are becoming increasingly important in organizations and businesses across the U.S. The importance of these efforts may seem clear-cut: a workplace can be enriched with broader ideas, cultural backgrounds can be recognized, employees may feel more valued, and an organization can outperform others within an industry.

That said, it’s interesting to imagine the possibilities of inclusion and diversity efforts – especially in the real estate sector. Let’s look at why inclusion and diversity initiatives are critical to this multifaceted industry.

The Influence of Real Estate

Commercial real estate development is a critical component of community dynamics. Whether that’s developing an environmentally-friendly building or transforming a gravel pit into a highly usable space, real estate initiatives can have a direct effect on communities and effectuating societal change.

As we welcome a new generation into the workforce, implementing and maintaining inclusion and diversity efforts are necessary to attract the best thinkers and doers in the industry – no matter where they come from.

Reflecting Our Communities

We believe that diversity in the workplace is a gateway to more robust thoughts, actions, and solutions. By acknowledging diversity, we can develop a more inclusive understanding of the communities we serve.

With communities that comprise of many backgrounds, it’s necessary to leverage the workers of these backgrounds and reflect those we serve. Executive Administrator Pequita Jordan adds that diversity is “what creates a greater variety of ideas and ‘outside the box’ thinking where innovation can be achieved.”

By recognizing cultures, appealing to all identities, and realizing how certain developments will affect our communities, more innovative and forward-thinking processes can be achieved and executed to cultivate an inclusive industry.

Imagining the Possibilities

With the recent formation of an Inclusion & Diversity committee, United Properties is making strides to foster a more inclusive and diverse work environment in real estate. We’re increasing awareness by partnering with businesses that are owned by women or individuals of color and hosting internal events to celebrate Black History Month and International Women’s Day. We’re also devoting space on our intranet site to share information about local events and celebrations. Through these efforts, we are raising awareness within our organization about the importance of recognizing cultural backgrounds and reflecting the identities of our communities.

We also sponsor the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Real Estate Diversity Initiative (REDi) program, a comprehensive 13-session curriculum for women and professionals of color working in real estate industries aimed at advancing their careers, through mentorship and charitable donations. For its 2018 program, we also donated our Centennial Lakes property for its informational sessions. And, Co-President Eva Stevens has also extended an offered to mentor interested REDi professionals, and some have expressed interest in meeting with her.

This program provides real estate professionals the opportunities for networking and the knowledge needed to experience different components of real estate. For women and people of color, traditional opportunities to expand networks has proven to be challenging because often their networks don’t cross.

Looking Forward

While we’re making strides with our initial inclusion and diversity efforts, there is still plenty of work for the commercial real estate industry – and for United Propreties!

We know it’s not enough to simply acknowledge that diversity exists, but to also ensure that initiatives consider how all communities will be represented and affected. It’s also crucial to examine various perspectives and mindsets involved in a decision-making process.

By imagining the possibilities of what diversity looks like in real estate, we can bring different backgrounds, perspectives, and minds together to construct a well-rounded and innovative industry.

United Properties is proud of its work with inclusion and diversity and looks forward to maintaining and building on future efforts to foster a diverse working climate.

VERO BEACH, (August 23, 2018)  – Watercrest Senior Living Group and United Properties announce their partnership’s second senior living development in the groundbreaking of Watercrest Sarasota Senior Living Community. Walker and Company will begin construction of the 198-unit, luxury senior living campus this fall, with scheduled completion in Summer 2020.

Ideally located at 4141 Desoto Rd, Watercrest Sarasota will be a signature Watercrest product, offering 72 independent living, 96 assisted living and 30 memory care apartments with resort-style service and world-class care. The architecture and design will boast a stunning promenade, fireplace, signature water wall, multiple dining options, pool, salon and spa, grand balconies, and Florida-style outdoor living spaces. Watercrest’s uniquely designed Market Street Plaza will showcase an ‘outdoor’ streetscape with numerous LifeBUILT programming touches; a highlight and crucial element of their multi-sensory memory care programming.

“As one of the nation’s most desirable places to live, Sarasota provides the idyllic setting for our signature Watercrest senior living community,” says Marc Vorkapich, Principal and CEO of Watercrest Senior Living Group. “We are offering an unparalleled experience which mirrors the upscale amenities and enriching lifestyle seniors are accustomed to enjoying while ensuring their safety through exceptional standards of care.”

With multiple senior living communities in development across the southeast, Watercrest principals, Marc Vorkapich, CEO, and Joan Williams, CFO, are setting new standards of quality for seniors and their families in the development of upscale senior living communities. This is the second senior living development project partnered between Watercrest and United Properties. Their first project, Watercrest Naples Assisted Living and Memory Care is currently under construction and on schedule to welcome residents in Summer 2019.

“It’s gratifying to see the synergies between United Properties and Watercrest build as our partnership evolves,” said Ray Oborn, president of Cherrywood Pointe Investment. “Together, we’re committed to excellence in creating inspired communities where seniors can find joy in aging.”

Founded in 1916 and based in Minneapolis, United Properties has developed nearly 200 projects totaling more than 20 million square feet and nearly $1 billion over the last 30 years, including 17 senior housing communities in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver and Naples markets, with five more under development.

“United Properties is pleased to have the opportunity to serve seniors in our second community in Florida,” said Mike Dailey, senior vice president of development for United Properties. “We look forward to completing this signature project and expanding our senior housing program that provides homes to many.”</p

Watercrest Senior Living Group specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities, market repositioning and advisory services, and the growth of servant leaders. For information, visit www.watercrestslg.com

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

Today, we are celebrating the joy of aging! Ah, joy. Whether it’s spending time with family, sharing words of wisdom with youngsters, celebrating accomplishments, or simply appreciating the roses in life, joy can be found each year we mature and grow as human beings.

Every month at our Cherrywood Pointe (CWP) community meetings, wholesome and heart-felt stories, called “mission moments,” are shared about the residents and how they are experiencing joy as they peacefully age. Let’s look at some of the most feel-good mission moments from the summer.

Ladybug Adventure

Jess, a staff member from Cherrywood Pointe in Minnetonka, paints rocks to resemble ladybugs so that the residents can hide them all throughout the complex, as well as the walking trails outside the community. The residents are always on the lookout for her signature pieces of art, and once found, the rocks are then hidden again by the resident that found them. The ladybug hunt throughout the facility and nearby trails also motivates the residents to go for walks and enjoy the outdoors. With each ladybug rock, Jess is instilling joy in the residents as they gracefully age while cultivating a stronger Cherrywood Pointe community.

 

The Power of Music

Jan, who was a Roseville Cleveland Cherrywood Pointe memory care resident and fairly non-responsive toward the end of her life, had a fervid passion for music. Her family informed the Cherrywood Pointe staff how much she enjoyed music, and the music therapist began singing to Jan in her final moments. Upon hearing the singing from the therapist, Jan started to sing along. The music therapist recorded the heartfelt event for Jan’s family and shared it with them after she had passed. The family was touched by the extra care that Cherrywood Pointe was providing for their dearest Jan and now have a wonderful, final memory of her embracing joy.

Extra-Mile Care

The family of Sam needed to secure a living space for their beloved family member. And Fast. The family decided to try out Cherrywood Pointe’s stay-by-the-day program units in Minnetonka, where a prospective resident can stay in a mock unit before choosing to live there. With no stay-by-the-day units available at the time, the Executive Director and staff quickly pulled some furniture together and provided Sam with an ideal living space to make him feel welcome for the weekend. Impressed and touched by the exceptional care, Sam decided the following Monday to stay at the Cherrywood Pointe community so that he could continue to embrace the joy of aging.

Bedroom Flood

At the Forest Lake Cherrywood Pointe community, Fritz and Rosetta moved into the newly built apartment. Two days in, the building flooded – directly over their bed! Cherrywood Pointe took the extra steps necessary to accommodate the couple to compensate for the damages that they experienced. Since then, they have moved from independent living to assisted living, and now to memory care. The family has been over the moon that Cherrywood Pointe has been able to care for them at every stage of their joyful aging process.

Living our Mission

At United Properties, our mission is to be the best-in-class real estate provider for seniors choosing to live in community setting. We strive to ensure that the residents in our communities can experience joy as they age. Whether that’s singing to a music lover to remind her of her passion, scrambling to accommodate a prospective resident, or quickly repairing a flooded bedroom, Cherrywood Pointe continues to remain mission-focused.

While keeping our mission at the forefront of what we do, United Properties and Cherrywood Pointe can continue to strengthen communities, enrich lives, and of course, instill joy in the hearts of those we serve.

More information about Cherrywood Pointe and how its creating inspiring and vibrant senior communities can be seen on its website.

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

At United Properties, we are one team accountable for the whole, and we have each other’s backs.

This year, we were recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of the Best Places to Work in the Twin Cities. As a company that values its employees and genuinely cares about the health of the communities it serves, we’re grateful to have scored a place on the list. With more than 100 years of creating deep roots, let’s look at some of the reasons we were honored with this recognition for the sixth time in our history!

Opportunities for Development

At United Properties, team members are given the specific direction, training, and tools they need to manage their individual roles. But providing the team with the tools they need goes well beyond that! We’ve also developed a customized leadership model that intersects skillset and mindset. Pointing to our culture declaration and developed through employee feedback, the leadership model allows each employee to grow within their roles within the company – and within their careers.

A Focus on Inclusion and Diversity

The recent creation of an inclusion and diversity committee ensures we’re continually working to foster a diverse and inclusive culture where we respect, embrace, and leverage team differences to create a unique competitive advantage in our industry. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a critical component of providing a positive work experience for the team.

A Commitment to Transparency and Communication

We continually work to innovate and increase our channels of communication as a critical component of providing a positive work experience for the team. From the top down and from the bottom up, transparent updates about happenings within the company and our industry contribute to our sense of belonging as a company.

Sharing our Talents

Employee commitment and engagement are what makes our organization one of the best places to work. Here at United Properties, we also offer multiple outlets for the team to bring their talents and passions to initiatives outside their primary roles through committee work.

With committees that focus on topics like charitable giving and inclusion and diversity, employees can continually innovate, volunteer, and make a difference within the company – and within our communities. These committees are strategically comprised of people from different departments, demographics, and career tenure for a broader perspective.

Legacies that Last

A long tenure isn’t unheard of in our work place, either. Our longest-tenured employee has been with the company 41 years, while several others have 30+ years under their belts. We also have a number of employees who have recently celebrated 20 or more years with the company.

It’s clear that United Properties cultivates an environment that ultimately, people want to stay in. With multiple people on our team showcasing significant tenures, it’s no secret that we take care of our family! We understand that our roots extend far beyond the confines of our office, developments, and assets, but into the families of the employees that have created deep roots and emotional ties to this company.

More than Bricks and Mortar

On Thursday, August 16, we were recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal at its Best Places to Work awards celebration. Members from our team, each representing a different department within our organization, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

Being recognized as a Best Places to Work reinforces our belief that commercial real estate is more than bricks and mortar. Moving forward, we will continue to create deep roots through our individual roles, cultivating a deeper passion for the communities we serve. We’re honored to have been recognized as one of the 2018 Best Places to Work.

The published story from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal can be seen online.

 

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

After more than 40 years in the commercial real estate industry, champion John Saunders has truly left a lasting legacy throughout his career. To commemorate his retirement, let’s look at his real estate journey and some of the key legacies he will leave behind.

Creating Deep Roots in Commercial Real Estate

Saunders attended Tufts University in Boston, where he received his bachelor’s degree in English. Besides attending college, he enjoyed “his favorite job ever.” He scooped ice cream at Joey’s Ice Cream Shop. “It was a blast. Everybody is always happy and in a good mood when they are getting ice cream,” explains Saunders.

As a Minnesota native, Saunders then returned to Minnesota to attend the university’s law school. Graduating in 1981, he began his law career at the Rider Bennett firm in Minneapolis, where he practiced bankruptcy, corporate, and commercial real estate law. From there, he performed in-house work for a developer client and then moved to Northco, primarily doing acquisitions on the business side, not as a lawyer.

Imagining Possibilities

Having developed an interest in the commercial real estate business while practicing law, Saunders imagined the possibilities of making the transition to the business side of real estate, which he achieved while at Northco in the acquisition and disposition of office and industrial property investments.

This mid-life career change from law to business real estate was one of the most difficult undertakings for Saunders. “Trying to get in the business side of the industry when all I had ever done was law, while in my late 30s, was really difficult,” he recalls. However, upon reflecting on his career, Saunders explains that successfully making that transition is what he’s most proud of. “It was totally worth it,” he says.

Strengthening Communities

After successfully morphing to the business side of the commercial real estate industry, Saunders found himself here at UP where he has spent 16 years performing acquisition, disposition, and asset management work.

Saunders remembers how his time at United Properties has strengthened the communities around him, especially the North Loop neighborhood. A project that he is very proud of is the renovation, tax credit financing, and successful transformation of the Ford Center. “The Ford Center was the first big historic renovation in the North Loop, which really helped set off major redevelopment in that neighborhood,” explains Saunders.

Two other highlights of his impressive commercial real estate career include the acquisition via an online auction of four struggling buildings that UP leased up and sold in 18 months and the recent sale of industrial buildings to two groups out of Hawaii. He also mentions as a highlight the sale of RSM Plaza after difficult work extending the ground leases underlying that property.

Leaving Lasting Legacies

Looking back on his time in the industry, Saunders wants to be remembered as someone who maintained high values and contributed to the success of United Properties. “In the long-run, honesty and maintaining integrity are the most important things,” says Saunders.

As for his hopes for United Properties, he foresees the company continuing to thrive from developing and investing in unique and noteworthy assets. When asked if he had any advice for incoming real estate professionals, he said: “Get really good at numbers, be very thorough in analysis and diligence, and enjoy the business because it can be really fun.” When asked what the best advice he had ever received was, he said that his father once told him: “It’s better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you’re an idiot than to open it and remove all doubt.”

As for retirement, Saunders is most excited for one simple thing: time. Embarking on this new chapter of his life will allow him to drive his 1967 Volkswagen van, relearn Portuguese and travel to Brazil, lower his handicap, and finish building his cabin in Webster, Wisconsin. He also plans to eventually do some non-profit work.

Finally, Saunders is “totally blessed” to have worked with some “top-notch and wonderful people” in the industry. He is also blessed by having a wonderful wife, Mary, and son, Jackson, who will be following in his father’s footsteps, attending Tuft’s University in the fall.